<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>in the depths we find the truth by Skullszeyes</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29816283">in the depths we find the truth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullszeyes/pseuds/Skullszeyes'>Skullszeyes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Best Friends, Boys Kissing, Child Neglect, Children, Crying, Demonic Possession, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Growing Up, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Minor Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Not Beta Read, One Shot, One-Sided Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Out of Character, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Secrets, Slash, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Swearing, Time Skips, Uchiha Sasuke &amp; Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha Sasuke Has Issues, mild romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29816283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullszeyes/pseuds/Skullszeyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke wants to be Naruto's friend, and over time, with their secrets of the past holding them back, they learn what they've longed to find out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>in the depths we find the truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so I kind of dislike Not evil Kurama. I kind of wish the Nine Tailed Fox did a bit more when it came to Naruto, including trying to control or get out of him. Maybe my expectations lately have been going up or whatever.</p><p>I also...maybe wanted to write a fic where Naruto's numbness has grown suspicious from Sasuke's pov, and it kind of creeps him out. LOL.</p><p>I hope you enjoy.</p><p>Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciated.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sasuke was in the crowd. He sensed the awfulness of these people, their words heavy in the air. He weaved through until he caught sight of him. The boy that always seemed to be a target. Mischief clung to his clothes, to his eyes, to the smile on his lips, but now...it was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>He stared at the boy. He knew him from the academy. Naruto. He was always doing something he shouldn’t. Either sleeping in class, or making up pranks to get through the day, then later being scolded by the teacher. There were days when Naruto was even pulled out of the room to work in another room altogether so he wouldn’t be disruptive to the others in the class.</p><p>This...was different. Not something Sasuke would have thought would happen to anyone, not a small child like they were. Sasuke may be well known around the village, but no one scorned him for what his past became.</p><p>It’s what made Sasuke curious of why they did this to Naruto. Their words left wounds all over him. A pain sinking inside his blue eyes as they watered with tears he couldn’t control.</p><p>Sasuke watched him runoff through the crowd. The people here didn’t even want to touch him. They didn’t go near him. Their scowled, grimaced, and the anger wasn’t misplaced for a boy who did harmless pranks all over the village. No. This was an anger that Sasuke didn’t understand.</p><p>What did Naruto do?</p><p>For awhile, Sasuke watched patiently, hoping to see the reasons for the hatred toward Naruto.</p><p>He hadn’t seen much from him. No, there wasn’t anything to hate when it came from him, besides the annoyance since Naruto boasted way too much to the friends he did have.</p><p>Shikamaru and Choji were always with Naruto in the school yard, and Sasuke sometimes spotted them together. Oddly, it was only when Naruto was alone when the villagers yelled at him. The fright on his face didn’t left, but over time, Sasuke caught the sight of a distinct look that Sasuke seemed to recognize.</p><p>Numbness.</p><p>The same feeling he had for awhile, but this wasn’t from...death. Sasuke squeezed his eyes closed as he pressed his back against the wall. He let the shadows hide him from the sun, and he placed his fingers to his head, trying to calm his breathing from the memories that were sitting on the surface of his mind.</p><p>He went home, no longer interested in Naruto anymore.</p><p>One day in class, Naruto had disrupted the class this time, and he was being scolded at the front by Iruka.</p><p>“I told you over and over again, not to do this, Naruto,” Iruka said, his hands on his hips as he looked down at Naruto.</p><p>Naruto had his eyes to the floor, a frown on his lips, his fingers curled at his sides. “I didn’t do it this time, it wasn’t me!” He looked up at Iruka.</p><p>Sasuke had caught it right away, and he wasn’t sure if anyone else did either. There was a different feeling in the air. The anger, and slight humor from their other classmates, had been cut through.</p><p>“Don’t look at me like that!” Naruto screamed, glaring at Iruka. “Don’t be like them...don’t look at me like they do.” And then Naruto ran from the room.</p><p>Sasuke stared at Iruka who had been frozen to the spot. He was shaking from the looks of it. Sasuke could see his hands moving, his body shuddering.</p><p>Fear.</p><p>Not anger.</p><p>It was...fear.</p><p>Guilt began to pool in Iruka’s eyes before he turned to the class, giving them as much a fake smile as he could, then he told them he’s going to find Naruto. He left swiftly after, then Sasuke was on his feet, making his way down to the bottom.</p><p>“Sasuke.” His name was said by a few girls, their voices melted together, and he no longer cared who was calling his name. He was more focused on Naruto and why he managed to scare their own teacher, and why their teacher...was scared of him.</p><p>He sprinted down the hallway, tracking where they had gone, but it wasn’t far away...he could already hear crying and Iruka’s soft voice.</p><p>Sasuke stayed close to the corner of the hall, listening intently to what they were saying.</p><p>“It wasn’t me,” Naruto said, his voice full of emotion, and he was sniffling from the tears that were possibly running down his face.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Naruto,” Iruka said quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”</p><p>“Why...do they do that to me?” Naruto asked.</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>Sasuke closed his eyes, a pain flashed in his chest for a split moment, and he clutched the front of his shirt. </p><p>“Why do they hate me?”</p><p>Sasuke left, he headed back to the classroom and sat down in his seat. The rest of the day was quiet and uneventful. Naruto was placed in another room again, but later on, Sasuke had seen him outside with Shikamaru and Choji, his smile was bright as the sun.</p><p>He was throwing kunai and shurikens at the targets. Missing a few times, but smiling. It was a painful smile that Sasuke couldn’t ignore.</p><p>“Sasuke…” a pink haired girl had walked over to him, her face was flushed, and she was holding a flower in her hand. “Do you want to—”</p><p>Sasuke tossed his kunai at the one Naruto had thrown, and they cut into one another, hitting the ground.</p><p>“Hey! What did you do that for?” Naruto said, his voice loud, and his glare not as wrathful as it had been in class. This was playful, mild even.</p><p>Sasuke smirked, tossing another kunai in the air. “Come on, you can do better than that, Naruto.”</p><p>“Eh, Naruto...I don’t think you want to get tempted by this,” Shikamaru said, looking extremely wary.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s Sasuke, he’s the best in the class,” Choji said, munching on a small bag of chips.</p><p>Naruto sneered, gripping the handle to his kunai. “As if he’s the best.”</p><p>“But he is, Naruto,” Shikamaru said, reaching out to grab a hold of Naruto’s arm, but another kunai had cut through the air, stopping Shikamaru from touching Naruto.</p><p>“He can speak for himself,” Sasuke said, sauntering over to the three.</p><p>Naruto’s sneer curled into a smirk. “Oh, this should be fun.”</p><p>“Ten kunai’s on the targets, first one with the most wins,” Sasuke said, pointing at the targets ahead of them, including the one that Naruto was missing from the looks of several shurikens lying in the sand.</p><p>Naruto clicked his tongue. “Fine. I can beat you.”</p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes, and got into position, then they started throwing their kunai and shurikens. He could already hear cheering on the sides, most of them saying his name instead of Naruto’s. To make up for it...Sasuke had purposely missed a few times, catching the cheeky smile on Naruto’s face, he seemed to glow thanks to the beam of sunlight.</p><p>“I win!” Naruto said, jumping up and down.</p><p>“It's a tie,” Sasuke said, wiping sweat from his forehead.</p><p>“No, it isn’t.” Naruto walked over to the target, Sasuke joining him to see if he would try and cheat. He counted, then almost stuck another kunai in his post, but Sasuke nudged him in the shoulder.</p><p>“It’s a tie, just admit it,” said Sasuke.</p><p>Naruto grumbled, then slumped his shoulders. “Fine, it’s a tie.”</p><p>Sasuke watched the smile on his face return, but it wasn’t completely what he wanted. He didn’t know Naruto, and Naruto certainly didn’t know him.</p><p>Why was he so fascinated with him? Even as Naruto ran back to his friends, and Sasuke was left with a kunai in his hand.</p><p>Over time, Sasuke had tried to get Naruto’s attention. Subtly. He didn’t need anyone knowing his reasons, and he didn’t want Naruto asking uninteresting questions about it.</p><p>“Do you think we’ll get this finished before the others?” Naruto asked. They were now sitting in another room. Naruto got in trouble, and Sasuke managed to manipulate Iruka to get Sasuke inside the room with him. They had their notebooks and pencils, and were writing their assignments on the pages.</p><p>“With me, we will,” Sasuke replied.</p><p>Naruto placed his chin on the desk, frowning at Sasuke. “Hey...are we friends?”</p><p>Sasuke blinked at the question and met Naruto’s big blue eyes. “Why are you asking?” he wondered, going back to writing, but so much more intent on Naruto’s answers.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Naruto complained, his lip drooping into a pout, “you’re always wanting to beat me at practice, and you’ve been silently following me, Shikamaru, and Choji sometimes. And...you don’t talk to anyone else.”</p><p>He’s a little too aware. That was Sasuke’s fault for not taking better precautions.</p><p>“Do you want to be friends?”</p><p>Naruto smiled sheepishly. “Better than being alone, right?”</p><p>Sasuke blinked at his words, and he even stopped writing. He looked at Naruto who was staring at the papers, asking Sasuke a question that Sasuke couldn’t hear. There was a pain in his chest, and it made him think too much of his…</p><p>“Do you want me to get Iruka?” Naruto asked Sasuke.</p><p>The chair was knocked over, the notebook and Sasuke’s pencil were on the floor. Sasuke was leaning against the wall a few feet away, the window was slightly open thanks to Naruto who was now sitting beside him. Sasuke was shaking badly, softly whispering under his breath, words that Naruto couldn’t hear.</p><p>He was digging his fingers into his scalp, trying to calm his racing heart, and the pain that settled there. It wouldn’t fade away even how much he tried.</p><p>“Don’t go,” Sasuke whispered when Naruto was about to get up.</p><p>Naruto blinked at him.</p><p>Sasuke could see it. Not curiosity, nor worry for Sasuke’s wellbeing like many other people had given him when they found him inside his house, when they spoke to him with pitiful eyes. Naruto’s eyes were...still. Uncomfortably still that it would have angered Sasuke, but he had no energy or reason for that anger towards Naruto who had settled back beside him.</p><p>“If we don’t get our work done, the others will finish before us.” Naruto was calm, and as he crawled over and grabbed their notebooks, papers, and pencils, he had returned to Sasuke with everything and placed them down before them.</p><p>Sasuke was still pressed to the wall, his knees barely touching his chest, his fingers still in his scalp. The anger and pain swirled inside his heart, followed by tears and screams, and worse, the red eyes of a murderer who he had loved dearly.</p><p>“You’re not going to ask?” Sasuke asked once the pain had subtly faded away for a moment. He reached for his pencil, trying to figure out what they were doing.</p><p>“I’d like to ask that one day,” Naruto said, a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. There was no humor or brightness in any of Naruto’s expressions, not right now...it was the same uncomfortable stillness that Sasuke was not used to.</p><p>“You’re not going to ask?” Sasuke asked.</p><p>“No one asks, no one bothers too, even how much I try to, no one...answers me,” Naruto said, his voice wavering for a second before going back to his work.</p><p>Sasuke stared at Naruto, unable to look away from him. His heart raced a bit as he realized what Naruto was now talking about.</p><p>“Why do they hate you?” Sasuke whispered.</p><p>Naruto went still, his smile was empty as he turned to Sasuke. “Exactly. No one answers me, no one cares to answer, I can see it in their eyes, I can hear it in my head…” Naruto tapped the side of his head with the end of his pencil. “They’re scared, and that fear turns to anger, uncontrollable anger...I don’t really understand it, and I do try to ask my questions, but even Iruka doesn’t want to tell me anything.”</p><p>He shrugged and went back to his work.</p><p>Sasuke’s lips were parted. A soft fear trembled inside of him, followed by shock. Naruto already knows...not the full truth, whatever that could be. But he knows no one is going to tell him, and he accepts it completely.</p><p>That’s also...the reason why Sasuke says nothing as he goes back to his work. He finished his part, and helped Naruto. </p><p>He smiled when Naruto smiled, then they were getting up from the floor as the door opened, and Iruka told them they can come back to class. The both of them pass Iruka their finished assignments, and Sasuke can’t help his secret smile when Iruka realizes that Naruto finished before the others.</p><p>Maybe that moment changed everything for the both of them. One moment they weren’t friends, the next...they had become best friends. Almost inseparable.</p><p>Years had gone by, and Naruto was always rushing over to Sasuke’s apartment to pick him up, or vice versa.</p><p>“You’re best friends with him,” Sakura said to Naruto who was standing outside of the classroom. Sasuke was close by, unable to not hear their conversation. “Just tell him about me…”</p><p>“Uh, Sasuke...isn’t interested,” Naruto said carefully. “He likes schoolwork and boring shit.”</p><p>Sakura scoffed. “I’m one of the smartest people in the class, and I know for sure Sasuke hangs around you all the time, including Shikamaru and Choji.”</p><p>“Then you should already know his interests if you figured out mine,” Naruto chuckled.</p><p>Sasuke nudged him in the arm when he stepped out of class. “Let’s go.”</p><p>Sakura’s face was flushed, and one of her friends was trying to get her to hurry up and ask her question. “Sasuke, um...would you like to go out later?”</p><p>Sasuke looked at Naruto who shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not interested,” he said to her, before gesturing to Naruto to hurry up.</p><p>“Harsh as always,” Naruto said.</p><p>They were taller than they had been as children, and were now sixteen years old. Sasuke had given his report to the teacher, alongside Naruto’s. He hadn’t helped Naruto out all that much, but he made sure he would get a passing mark. He also wanted to know if there were any other assignments that they missed since Naruto has a tendency to get Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Choji to sneak out and spend time in the village than in class.</p><p>It was rare for Sasuke who wanted to be at the top of his class, although it was troubling when Sakura and Shikamaru were the smartest.</p><p>“She asks the same question mostly every day, what else was I going to tell her?” Sasuke asked, glancing at Naruto.</p><p>“I don’t know, maybe actually say something nice, or go out with her, Sakura is one of the prettiest girls in class,” Naruto said, a small flush made its way on his face</p><p>Sasuke narrowed his gaze at him. “I’d rather be with you than her.”</p><p>“Ah, is that a confession I hear?” Naruto asked, nudging him in the shoulder.</p><p>“We’re always with each other anyways, right?” Sasuke said, trying to figure out if he would have time to do homework later when he knew Naruto wanted to hang out a bit more.</p><p>Naruto chuckled. “Sure, we’ll make it official later. Tonight, I have an idea, and it’s going to be so amazing.”</p><p>Sasuke doubted that. Naruto somewhat drew away from pranks over the years, but his tendency to do so was still there.</p><p>“This better be good,” Sasuke said.</p><p>“We’re going to sneak into the—”</p><hr/><p>“I’m starting to hate you,” Sasuke whispered. It was late, the sky had darkened an hour ago, and the night air was cold on his skin. He wore dark clothes to conceal himself, alongside Naruto who hardly cared if he was seen or not.</p><p>“I thought you loved me?” Naruto said, opening the window to an odd looking building that Sasuke knew was one of the Hokage’s rooms.</p><p>“I’m rethinking that,” Sasuke said as he followed after Naruto. He wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing, but Naruto wanted to check something out, so Sasuke went with him to make sure that he wouldn’t get himself killed. Apparently, he had done a lot of research before this little...heist?</p><p>The ANBU had a routine apparently, but they were always with the Hokage, or somewhere close by. Naruto watched them carefully, and even secured some papers to recognize a few of their mask symbols in case they needed to make a quick break out of there.</p><p>Sasuke wanted to know what that was supposed to mean, and apparently each ANBU specialized in different Jutsu’s, so knowing which one made it easier.</p><p>“They might switch, or share, why do you think—”</p><p>“Because...they have a routine, and I know which one is which,” Naruto whispered. “Now, come here, we’re almost to the vault.”</p><p>“The what?” Sasuke asked, following Naruto. It was so dark, he was sure there had to be traps. Apparently, Naruto even managed to figure that out with a few kunai’s that disabled the traps.</p><p>“I want to know how you know this, and how long you decided to do this,” Sasuke said.</p><p>Naruto chuckled as they reached the room at the end and stepped inside. It was an oval room with no doors or windows besides a small light from above. All along the walls were shelves upon shelves of different kinds of ledgers.</p><p>“What is this, why are we here?” Sasuke asked.</p><p>Naruto turned to Sasuke, “I was kind of hoping you would have figured it out by now, Sasuke.”</p><p>He blinked, unsure of what Naruto was getting at.</p><p>“My question was never answered,” he turned away from Sasuke, “and now I can find out why that is.”</p><p>Sasuke stared at Naruto, his eyes wide, heart thudding in his chest at what he just said. “All these years, you still haven’t let it go?”</p><p>“Have you?” Naruto asked, sounding content as he began reading the side of each ledger. </p><p>A pain stabbed Sasuke in the chest, and had him pressed a hand to the wall to keep him up. He wanted to glare at Naruto for what he had said, and what they were doing. He wanted to shake him, and go back to what they were doing earlier. Talking about school, homework, maybe ramen that Sasuke was tired of eating.</p><p>Sasuke breathed steadily, trying his best to compose himself. “We shouldn’t be here, we’re breaking the rules, if someone finds us...we’re fucked.”</p><p>Naruto chuckled at Sasuke. “Come on, don’t be like that, I know you want to find out.” Naruto reached for a ledger, then he dropped it on the floor. “Ah, does that have the—”</p><p>Sasuke was across the room, shoving Naruto hard against the wall, ignoring the cheeky smirk on his lips. “Don’t you fucking say it.”</p><p>“I don’t have to, it’s right at your feet, Sasuke.”</p><p>Sasuke trembled, then he looked down at the ledger. It had fallen open, and he was staring at his family crest. His insides went cold, an emptiness he knew since childhood had resurfaced.</p><p>Naruto didn’t sit with him this time. He hummed softly inside the still room, running his fingers along the ledgers.</p><p>Sasuke was on the floor, back pressed to the wall, fingers digging into his scalp as he stared at the crest, at the words written on the pages. Most of it was redacted. He didn’t know the names, the people involved, but he could take a guess at what it meant for him.</p><p>Naruto stopped humming as he pulled a ledger and walked back over to Sasuke. Oddly, Naruto rarely ignored others, but Sasuke wasn’t stupid...there was something strange about Naruto’s behavior when it came to the both of them. They were always so quiet, and he was always so...different. Like something inside of Naruto was eaten away, and Sasuke had realized a long time ago that he was sitting with a shell.</p><p>“I hate you,” Sasuke whispered.</p><p>“I don’t,” Naruto said, flipping through the pages, reading what he could easily understand. Most of it was also redacted. More than what happened to the Uchiha Clan.</p><p>“What is it, what did you find?” Sasuke wanted to keep the shaking from his voice, but it was difficult when his past was coming in his mind like heavy cold waves.</p><p>“Exactly what it told me,” Naruto tapped his head. “I guess maybe I should’ve listened to it more, but how was I supposed to know that it wasn’t lying.”</p><p>Sasuke wasn’t sure what Naruto was talking about. “Can you explain or...are we leaving?”</p><p>Naruto smiled sheepishly at Sasuke. “We can leave.” He helped Sasuke to his feet, and watched as Sasuke slipped the ledger back into place. He followed Naruto out of the building, they were both quiet as they slipped from the window, climbed on rooftops before making their way to an empty balcony.</p><p>Sasuke wiped tears from his eyes. “I don’t know...who did it, I don’t know...their names were wiped out.”</p><p>Naruto hummed, hands on the cold railing as he stared at the bright village before them. “It wanted me to destroy this place.”</p><p>Sasuke blinked, then looked at Naruto. “What?”</p><p>“It wanted me to destroy them all. I’m angry, Sasuke,” Naruto said, turning to face Sasuke, a frown on his lips that was unusual for him. “I’m so angry inside. The treatment they gave me...the reason for it. I know why they hate me. Why they despise me. It wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t...and I’m always so close to taking off the seal, and letting it do whatever it wants to this village.”</p><p>His voice had gone quiet, and Sasuke stared at Naruto’s tears slipping down his face.</p><p>“I hate them, Sasuke, I hate them. I can’t get rid of this anger, this pain, this...fucking resentment. I can’t ignore it. It can’t...forgive them.” Naruto cried, and even how much he tried to wipe the tears away, more came to his face.</p><p>Sasuke’s chest was caving in. Everything that was shown to him as a child, everything up to when he decided to befriend Naruto, to the secrets they both had, to what they were subjected to. </p><p>It wasn’t their fault.</p><p>Naruto had fallen to his knees. Sasuke had joined him on the cement, pulling Naruto against his chest.</p><p>“It hurts,” Naruto whimpered. “It hurts so badly to know...what it wants from me, what it wants to do to these people. And what these people did to me.”</p><p>What they did to you…</p><p>Sasuke closed his eyes, running his fingers through Naruto’s blonde hair. They ridiculed him, yelled at him, threw hate at a child, and wanted nothing more but to hurt him. Maybe they would’ve felt better if he had died, and Naruto grew without knowing the reason until now.</p><p>“Do you want to destroy these people?” Sasuke asked, finding the numbness spreading throughout his body that came to caring about any of the people of this village. “Or do you want to leave?”</p><p>Naruto trembled at his question. “Are you...coming with me?”</p><p>Sasuke pulled back only a bit, not wanting to get too far away, and he brushed away a few of Naruto’s tears from his cheek. “I want to know more about why they did this to my clan, and maybe I can get those answers from my brother…” Sasuke gritted his teeth at the thought of Itachi, “if he’s still alive.”</p><p>Naruto sniffled, and he managed a smile. “You know...I don’t think I would want to be with anyone but you, Sasuke.”</p><p>Sasuke snorted, “Is that a confession?”</p><p>Naruto stared at Sasuke, then he pulled Sasuke close and kissed him on the mouth. Sasuke could tell Naruto rarely kissed anyone, but Sasuke, he didn’t have much practice since they were kids. This was different for some reason, and Sasuke was okay with it.</p><p>They couldn’t leave the village, not now. They were too weak, and barely knew much about fighting. They needed more practice and skill. They swore to each other to keep the secrets of what they found out, and what they were going to do when it came down to it.</p><p>Sasuke was sure that when he returned home that he had seen something else in Naruto’s eyes. An orange-reddish color, faint amongst the blue, yet overpowering it.</p><p>Naruto stared at the village, a cold look in his eyes.</p><p>Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen, but now he didn’t need to keep his own secrets when he had Naruto who could help him carry them, including his own. The hunger in both of them came from the destruction of the village they were born in, but worse, whatever the outcome would appear in the coming years.</p><p>They’ll wait for that answer like they have for the ones they seeked, soon...it’ll all fall into place in whatever way they decide.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn't sure how I wanted to end this, but Naruto and Sasuke are teens and barely know how to climb a tree, so...obviously...I didn't want them leaving yet, and writing more was becoming tedious. I like the idea Naruto knows about Sasuke's clan, and later vice versa with Sasuke finding out about Naruto's nine tails early on. :)</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.</p><p>Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>